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Srinagar, In a recent controversial move, the Narendra Modi-led Indian government is alleged to have targeted Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a senior leader of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), and several local bureaucrats in a case concerning the illegal encroachment of Custodian land in Srinagar, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the FIR lodged against Mirwaiz suggests that his residence might be confiscated if the allegations are proven in what is described as a compromised judiciary. The case originated from a preliminary inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which claims that a woman, Dil Rafiqa, was unlawfully granted evacuee land by the Custodian Department, bypassing required government sanctions and an open auction process.
The FIR details further allege that land allocations were made in violation of established rules, implicating several local officers from the Custodian and Revenue Departments. This has raised suspicions among observers that the case is politically motivated, aimed at purging the local bureaucracy of elements that do not align with the central government’s policies, as part of a broader agenda to reinforce Hindutva ideologies in the region.
Observers also suggest that Mirwaiz’s consistent opposition to the BJP’s policies in Kashmir and his non-cooperation in what are termed “sham elections” are the real reasons behind the accusations. These actions are seen as attempts to undermine the Kashmiri leadership and discredit the ongoing freedom struggle.
APHC-AJK Convener Mehmood Ahmad Saghar, in a statement from Islamabad, has denounced the charges against Mirwaiz as baseless and an overt effort by the BJP regime to defame the Kashmiri resistance movement.